Teachers missed but the carnival goes on at inner-city school

Telus volunteers Kristina Chayipova, Jen Hopp, and Katie Griffiths were on hand at the Strathcona elementary school spring carnival Thursday to put a smile on students’ faces -- including Angelina 6, (left) Nicole 6, (centre) and Amreen 7, who had their fish at the ready.

Photograph by: Mark van Manen
, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER -- It’s not often an 11-year-old boy has the school principal at his mercy, so Brandon Westenberg wasn’t about to waste the opportunity on Thursday.

He had three putts of a golf ball to drench Strathcona elementary principal Margaret Jorgensen, who was sitting — mock glare intact — under a large shower head in a booth, waiting to see if his efforts were successful.

Two shots missed, the third circled the hole then fell in.

“Great,” shouted Westenberg as Jorgensen was soaked.

All’s fair at the Strathcona Spring Carnival, which was held in the gym after school finished and was busting with kids and parents.

“She’s my principal but I wish it was Steve, one of my teachers,” said the boy upon reflection.

Well, neither Steve nor any other teacher was there because of the rotating strikes and lockouts the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government are using to make their points this spring.

But a group of Telus community volunteers was there helping the PAC (Parents Advisory Council) with its carnival, as they have been for a number of years since Telus adopted the school — in the heart of the most socially troubled area of the city.

Today is the Telus Day of Giving, when 15,000 employees, retirees, relatives and friends will be out across Canada volunteering at 700 events — everything from feeding the homeless to planting trees.

On Thursday, Katie Griffiths and 17 other Telus volunteers got an early start.

“It’s a lot of fun and we’re here helping to run the individual stations and the different activities the kids can participate in,” she said.

And there were plenty, from showering the principal to throwing darts at balloons, smashing plates, smacking the Kiddie Striker with a large mallet to ring the bell at the top, string pulls, face painting, bouncy castles and a cake walk, a musical-chair type game where the survivor wins a large cake.

“I made one of the cakes,” said Griffiths as she watched a child make off in triumph with a large sponge cake.

There was no shortage of food, with hotdogs by the hundreds, cotton candy, popcorn, and ice cream being devoured by the more than 500 children in attendance.

Ron Suzuki, who runs the attached Strathcona Community Centre, said he missed seeing the teachers.

“They are here every year and I know they would want to be here this year. It’s a pity,” he said.

Telus volunteer Jen Hopp was helping with the Penguin Fish Toss. She’s a recent hire and said one of the reasons for joining Telus was its commitment to community giving.

“It’s one of the things I find attractive. The company lives up to its motto of give-where-you-live. I came in September and it’s great to be able to do this with other colleagues and get to know people in the community,” Hopp said.

Since The Vancouver Sun began its Adopt-A-School campaign, Telus has donated over $100,000 to it, said Griffiths.

The latter program is particularly important because literacy can help children break the cycle of poverty some of them experience, Griffiths said.

“We were able to start the literacy program here and with our 2014 contribution (for $20,000) we can expand it and bring some technology into that as well.”

The Adopt-A-School campaign this year has also raised $20,000 for Strathcona’s breakfast program, which ensures children don’t start the school day hungry. Other major donations were made to the school by Future Shop, which donated thousands of dollars worth of computers, and the Hearts of Gold Foundation, which has provided money for field trips.

Telus volunteers Kristina Chayipova, Jen Hopp, and Katie Griffiths were on hand at the Strathcona elementary school spring carnival Thursday to put a smile on students’ faces -- including Angelina 6, (left) Nicole 6, (centre) and Amreen 7, who had their fish at the ready.